Course Contents at a Glance

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The following list shows the module-level topics for the course. To see all of the course pages, visit the Table of Contents.

Module 1: Foundations of Sociology

    • What Is Sociology?
    • The Development of Sociology
    • Why Study Sociology?
    • The Sociological Imagination
    • The Main Sociological Theories
    • Structural-Functional Theory
    • Conflict Theory
    • Symbolic Interactionist Theory
    • Reviewing Sociological Theories

  • Module 2: Sociological Research

    • Sociological Research
    • Ethics
    • The Scientific Method
    • Surveys
    • Experiments
    • Field Research
    • Secondary Data Analysis
    • Summary of Research Methods

  • Module 3: Culture

    • Culture, Values, and Beliefs
    • Social Norms
    • Symbols and Language
    • Cultural Universals
    • Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
    • Pop Culture and Subculture
    • Cultural Change
    • Globalization and Technology
    • Functionalism on Culture and Technology
    • Conflict Theory on Culture and Technology
    • Symbolic Interactionism on Media and Technology

  • Module 4: Socialization

    • The Importance of Socialization
    • Theories of Socialization
    • The Social Construction of Reality
    • Roles and the Presentation of Self
    • Agents of Socialization
    • Socialization Across the Lifespan
    • Resocialization

  • Module 5: Society and Groups

    • Society, Culture, and Social Institutions
    • Types of Societies
    • Functionalism and Society
    • Conflict Theory and Society
    • Symbolic Interactionism and the McDonaldization of Society
    • Types of Formal Organizations
    • Types of Groups
    • Group Dynamics
    • Leadership Styles

  • Module 6: Deviance, Crime, and Social Control

    • Deviance and Control
    • Functionalism and Deviance
    • Conflict Theory and Deviance
    • Symbolic Interactionism and Deviance
    • Reviewing Theories on Deviance
    • The Criminal Justice System
    • Criminal Activity

  • Module 7: Stratification and Inequality

    • Social Stratification, Social Inequality, and Global Stratification
    • Systems of Global Classification
    • Systems of Social Stratification
    • Class in the United States
    • Social Mobility
    • Global Poverty
    • Poverty in the U.S.
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Global Stratification

  • Module 8: Race and Ethnicity

    • Racial, Ethnic, and Minority Groups
    • Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
    • Intergroup Relationships
    • Native Americans
    • African Americans
    • Asian Americans
    • Hispanic/Latino Americans
    • Arab Americans
    • White Americans
    • Theoretical Perspectives of Race and Ethnicity

  • Module 9: Gender, Sex, and Sexuality

    • Sex and Gender
    • Gender and Socialization
    • Sex and Sexuality
    • Sexual Orientation
    • Feminist Movements and Feminist Theory
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Gender
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Sex

  • Module 10: Marriage and Family

    • Why It Matters: Marriage and Family
    • Introduction to Marriage and Family
    • Defining Family
    • Marriage and Courtship Patterns
    • Lines of Descent and Family Stages
    • Variations in Family Life
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Marriage and Family
    • Divorce and Remarriage
    • Violence and Abuse

  • Module 11: Religion

    • The History of Religion
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Religion
    • Types of Religion
    • Hinduism
    • Buddhism
    • Taoism and Confucianism
    • Judaism
    • Islam
    • Christianity
    • U.S. Trends in Religion
    • Religion and Social Change

  • Module 12: Education

    • Education Around the World
    • Universal Access to Education
    • Functionalist Theory on Education
    • Conflict Theory on Education
    • Symbolic Interactionist Theory on Education
    • Hot Topics in Education
    • Charter Schools and Homeschooling
    • Contemporary Issues in Education

  • Module 13: Health and Medicine

    • The Cultural Significance of Health
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Health and Medicine
    • Global Health and Epidemiology
    • Health and Inequality in the United States
    • Mental Health and Disabilities
    • Healthcare Systems

  • Module 14: Aging and the Elderly

    • Aging in Society
    • The Graying of the United States and the World
    • Growing Old
    • Death and Dying
    • Retirement and Poverty
    • Ageism and Abuse
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Aging

  • Module 15: Government and Politics

    • Types of Authority
    • Forms of Government
    • Politics in the United States
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Government

  • Module 16: Work and the Economy

    • The Development of Economic Systems
    • Capitalism and Socialism
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Economics
    • Globalization
    • Work in the United States
    • Poverty and Unemployment in the United States

  • Module 17: Population, Urbanization, and the Environment

    • Demography and Population Growth
    • Demographic Theories
    • Immigration in the United States
    • Urbanization on the Rise
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Urbanization
    • Environmental Sociology
    • Environmental Racism

  • Module 18: Social Movements and Social Change

    • Collective Behavior
    • Levels of Social Movements
    • Types and Stages of Social Movements
    • Theoretical Perspectives on Social Movements
    • Causes of Social Change
    • Social Change, Technology, and Modernization